The Catalyst

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Healthcare providers know that no two patients are alike. And just as the saying goes that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, their bodies (and the ways in which they require care) are often worlds apart.

For example, heart attacks plague both genders, but the symptoms often vary. Women often metabolize medicines differently from men in ways that aren't explained simply by differences in body sizes. They are also more prone to diseases like multiple sclerosis, lupus, migraines, osteoporosis and fibromyalgia.

Down in Louisiana, where record flooding is becoming a real threat, Governor Bobby Jindal is recommending that residents who may have to evacuate their homes and communities remember to write down their prescription medicines before they leave their homes.

Battelle, the world's largest independent research organization, is out with a new report on the economic impact of the human genome project. The headline from the report is that the "$3.8 billion investment in the Human Genome Project drove $796 billion in economic impact creating 310,000 jobs and launching the genomic revolution."

Today was the launch of the Script Your Future campaign, an effort to encourage patients living with chronic diseases to better manage their conditions by taking their medicines as directed.

According to the campaign's Web site, "Understanding your condition and taking your medicine correctly are important steps toward a longer, healthier life. This campaign can help you with tools to manage your medicines."

Excluding orphan drugs and first-in-class medicines, a majority of new medicines (defined as new molecular entities) approved by the FDA between 2000 and 2010 had CER data available at the time of approval.

Andrew Sullivan, in The Daily Beast, directed my attention to an opinion piece on The New York Times's Opinionator blog about "the science gap" - in other words, how evolving science is changing the research landscape. Sullivan featured a quote from Stanford University's Dr.

An article in today's Boston Globe refers to biopharmaceutical research companies "dedicating more resources to rare disorders, illnesses that are prevalent in the developing world, and medical conditions that affect minority populations in rich countries."

The devastation caused by the string of tornadoes and storms continues to be felt. We've already blogged a couple of times on what Rx Response is doing to assist state and local emergency managers. But circumstances call for additional help for many of the region's uninsured patients, and the Partnership for Prescription Assistance is also stepping in to help.

For years, PhRMA has supported several programs that educate consumers about the safe disposal of expired and unused medications, including SMARxT Disposal, American Medicine Chest Challenge, and most recently, the DEA National Take Back Day, which occurred April 30 at approved locations across the nation.